. The original sense was ‘gather together’, later ‘turn to, associate with’, which led to the sense ‘depend upon with confidence’.Extra examplesI couldn’t rely on John for information.I generally rely on instinct when pairing wine and food.Most historians simply rely on archives.The party could no longer rely on its traditional supporters.They relied entirely on these few weapons for their defence.Who can you rely on these days?You can always rely on Holly to say the wrong thing.You can safely rely on his judgement.You can safely rely on the report’s conclusions.countries that rely heavily on food aidpeople who are forced to rely on public transport/​transportationPhrasal Verbsrely on somebody